Hello everyone!! My name is Josh and I am a new member to GV. I love all things paranormal and am currently writing my first book on the subject. I was recently asked to give a lecture at the public library in my home town on the subject of ghost hunting. I jumped at this awesome opportunity. The lecture is for students in grades 5-12. This is what I need the help with...... If you were giving a lecture on ghost hunting what are some of the things you would want to cover? As of right now I have some cool history on ghost hunting, some of the "lingo" used by us weirdos in the feild, and some of the cool toys that we can use to better help us in our journeys. Am I missing something??
Also we are doing a cemetary walk following the lecture. This will just add a little to the creepyness. Thanks everyone!!!!

Interests:Serious Research and separating the truth from the hype in the paranormal field today.

Posted 08 June 2012 - 08:32 AM

Stress rational thinking! With all the emphasis these days from TV shows it seems a lot of eople see ghosts behind every tree. In reality most things can be easily debunked if one simply takes the time to reason it out and observe objectively.

Also since you mention the various toys we use, stress knowing how these things work and their limitations. Mention the EMF detectors as well, including the fact that to date there is no proof spirits or ghosts even affect these devices (That is all Hollywood special effects being taken as fact.) So build on the proper use of these devices not as ghost detectors rather as tools to find natural causes for false positives.

A little education might help get some of the foolishness out of the field and start people on th road to serious research and maybe some real answers. You seem to be in a position to help that along with your presentation. Good luck!

My team and I have given several lectures and classes for that age group and its always a lot of fun. The hands-on ghost walk getting to use some of the "toys" themselves is always a hit. They also love to look at ghost photos...give them examples of photos caused by false positives and outright fraud that would fool most people...and surprise them with how they can be easily explained through natural means. Throw in a few famous ones that have never fully been debunked just for fun. The same principle can be applied to letting them listen to EVPs or analyze video recordings. The operative phrase for this age group is "hands on." The more you can get them participating and interacting, the more they're going to retain. They're also less likely to get bored.

Another thing we have come up a lot is younger kids wanting to know how they can grow up and do this as a profession. I always stress the importance of a good education. If you want to be involved in this field, take what you love and look at how you can apply it. Degrees in the sciences are ideal, but a variety of trades and social sciences can also be a huge asset to paranormal investigations...moreso than any "certificate" out there. And be realistic...most people are never going to be able to make a living with this and need something to fall back on.

Have fun with this awesome opportunity, and don't forget to have a little patience, lol. This age group isn't as bad as the younger ones, but there will be plenty of them wanting to share with you their own ghost stories and urban legends they've heard, lol.

Thank you all so much for all the great tips. The class went very well. In fact, it went so well that they have now asked me to do an adult class in a few weeks. I am very excited for this. Thanks again to everyone. You were all such a big help!!